Sessions

The future of energy in Texas and the US is one of carbon-free promise, but numerous challenges face us in designing and operating an electrical system to meet the growing demand for power while ensuring resiliency, reliability, and security. How do we manage these challenges within a changing regulatory regime and with an evolving threat environment? Deepa Poduval, Vice President & Global Advisory Leader at Black & Veatch kicks off the Leadership Summit with a short introduction. Following his remarks will be a conversation with former US Secretary of Energy and former Governor of Texas, Rick Perry, Massoud Amin, professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Minnesota, and Julia Matevosyan, Chief Engineer at ESIG Energy. This give-and-take discussion will offer a candid assessment of the policy, technology, and cybersecurity issues that are crucial to the bulk power system’s future.

Renewable generation proliferation in the energy market is driving the need for flexibility in gas fired power plants to enable a wider and emissions compliant operability range. The ability for a gas fired plant to peak fire while maintaining emissions compliance, full life interval capability, improved simple and combined cycle heat rate and the ability to achieve extended turndown, positions a gas fired asset to benefit from an improved capacity factor, and overall economic viability in an increasingly renewables’ dependent energy market. A novel and innovative combustion system retrofit platform, called the “FlameSheet™ Combustor, has been combined with advanced turbine and compressor upgrade packages commercially operating in F-class combustion turbines. Currently, FlameSheet™ is operating on two F-class platforms, Siemens 501FD2 and GE Frame 7FA.03, due its multi-platform flexibility. Coupling FlameSheet™ with advanced turbine and compressor upgrade packages have allowed operators to meet higher peak firing and lower minimum load while maintaining low emissions, widening the total operating window. The results of these upgrades will be presented with emphasis on plant performance data on turndown and peak firing capabilities including repairability of components showcasing the added benefit of extended maintenance interval capabilities. The output and heat rate improvement achieved with this upgrade scope that has enabled improved capacity is also highlighted. As shale gas continues to grow as a dominant source of the U.S natural gas supply, the need for fuel flexible combustion systems enabling tolerance to higher ethane/ethylene concentrations associated with shale gas is required for improved operability. The adverse impact and means to mitigate such higher ethane/ethylene content with standard OEM F-Class heavy-duty combustion systems is also presented as part of the capabilities of FlameSheet™ combustion retrofits.

Not all that long ago most plants were coal-fired and base-loaded. They also had a plethora of instrumentation and technicians to assure that the steam cycle was under control and protecting the metallic assets of the plant. Now, all bets are off even if that coal facility is still in operation. Moving to a combined cycle or heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) does not necessarily mean the job is any easier. Trends in monitoring the water cycle chemistry in a power generation facility have evolved as well, but not all for the better. This review will take a look at several areas within the steam cycle to examine what can be done to enhance monitoring for optimal asset protection. Often decisions on which parameters to monitor are influenced by budget and not by the information being provided. On the other hand, sophisticated analysis of a single parameter does not always offer overall protection. A proper understanding of the information gleaned from any measurement is key in making informed decisions regarding water chemistry. Several key parameters will be considered which impact the quality of steam being produced. Conductivity is a widely monitored parameter which provides important information on water quality for the steam cycle. Yet this data is often mis-used to the detriment of the turbine and piping it is supposed to be protecting. The differences and limitations of specific, cation and degassed cation conductivity need to be understood. Proper control of pH is one of the most critical parameters in controlling corrosion in the steam cycle. Yet this is hard to do if the proper sensors are not being used. In some cases, calculated pH can be utilized as an alternate method with certain advantages. Corrosion product transport is a generic term which encompasses a number of different monitoring techniques to verify effectiveness of the chemistry program and to support the other measurements discussed above. These include iron monitoring and the use of film forming products and amines. There is much confusion around this topic regarding what works and what doesn’t. A synopsis will be offered. Finally, presence of cationic and anionic species, including sodium, silica, chlorides, and sulfates will be considered. The current trends, benefits, and drawbacks of these important parameters, along with those previously addressed, will be discussed in light of the frequent cycling encountered at coal and gas-fired units.

Presentation will cover the actions and decisions required by both the host Utility and the Engineering Design Company to successfully decommission Coal Plants and provide continuing operation of assets remaining on site after the coal units are out of service. I will cover the selection of the Engineering company to conduct the Phase 1 Study to develop alternatives for evaluation, the Phase 2 Detailed Design of the redesign, rerouting, and repowering of remaining assets, and the proper preparation for the Phase 3 construction. I will cover the selection of assets remaining on site and how to address mid-project scope changes to that. I will cover the development of an effective joint project team between the utility and the Engineering company and the communication and coordination of work activities. I will address how to work around the documentation gaps in Utility drawings and documentation. I will cover the leadership and management of the multi-discipline Engineering and design effort. Safety and environmental concerns in such projects will be addressed, as well as the impacts of technology, economics, and politics on the project. I will discuss the necessity of early construction contractor and vendor involvement in the design process. I will also discuss lessons learned from our previous projects.

Heads of companies and thought leaders discuss specific challenges they have to meet their decarbonization goals or those set by government agencies, and how R&D can help individual companies and industries. The panel would focus on specific challenges and opportunities industries are facing, on electrification and its limits, and on specific measures/technologies needed.

Take 5 for a drink and a quick chat at our cantina receptions located throughout the exhibit hall.

Networking Bar Locations:

Company	Booth Name
Black & Veatch	4811
PTMW	3745
Power Plant Services	6146
Qualus Power Services	3827
Maddox	4245
Blue Wolf Performance Solutions	4516

Sponsored by Symphony Industrial AI: Asset reliability and process professionals face an enormous challenge to tame the tsunami of data and turn it into useful information. Sensor data is growing 50 times faster than business data with only 2% of it being used!  By 2025 the number of devices will double to 21 billion.  AI alone is not sufficient to determine cause and actions without raising false positives. A must going forward is the ability to create models that harness AI’s processing power and the expert’s understanding of operating nuances. The methodology involves building fit-for purpose anomaly and performance digital twins that work in tandem with process knowledge, failure library (FMEA) engines and advisory rule engines. The digital twin detects faults, finds efficient zones, and allows “what-if” scenarios to create the best possible outcomes and capture operating dynamics in real-time. Armed with this data, the twin “self-learns” to adaptively adjust parameters that drive higher energy efficiency and lower emissions. In this presentation, we will explore optimizers, that working with plant controls, can improve the heat rate of coal-fired boilers, lower emissions, and reduce boiler tube failures and condenser leakages. Imbalance in electrical systems can be spotted early and faulty areas isolated to ensure overall network performance with high uptime and power factors.

The always complicated process forced upon developers and builders of new projects for the energy sector gets more challenging and problematic every year. Financial constraints, technology, and connectivity needs, regulatory hurdles, political pressures, and, last but not least, environmental goals and challenges are not always in alignment, so utilities and their partners have hard rows to hoe in bringing those together. A significant part of our build strategy is now planning for weather-related challenges with hurricanes, wildfires, and other natural disasters.  How do we prepare ourselves to keep the grid and infrastructure online or restore as quickly as possible when disaster strikes?  This session will look at how both utilities, developers, and partners navigate the building and install the intelligent equipment needed for Destination 2050. 

Description Coming Soon!

The Initiate Hub (booth #3755) will host an invite-only mixer on Monday, May 23rd, from 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm. This exclusive mixer will bring together startup companies and utility innovation managers for an informal hour of networking and connecting.